Additional Inheritance - Chap 21
Chapter 21
Wen Xiaohui was trembling with fear when he arrived at the studio. In reality, Raven wasn’t there very often, but what if he bumped into him, and he knew what had happened? Wen Xiaohui felt that his days at the studio were becoming more and more depressing. He considered quitting his job, but he felt unwilling when he thought about how long he had spent toiling at the company, and how close he was to completing his apprenticeship.
All of a sudden, someone unexpectedly hugged him from behind.
“Ahhh!” Wen Xiaohui shouted in alarm.
A scream came from behind him.
When Wen Xiaohui turned around, Xiao Ai looked at him like he was crazy. “Why are you trying to scare me?!”
Wen Xiaohui widened his eyes. “Damn! It was clearly you who scared me first. Or are you trying to take advantage of me1?”
“You’re the one wandering around like you’re missing one of your souls2. I’m worried that you’ll be dispersed by the breeze of the hairdryer.” Xiao Ai puffed up her cheeks. “What’s up with you? Is it because of the rumours online about your plastic surgery?”
“Fuck! Who said I had plastic surgery?!” Wen Xiaohui glared. “Are those idiots blind? I am 100% ‘natural beauty’3, alright!”
“But your chin does look amazing, it’s so sharp.” As if she were stroking a dog, Xiao Ai stroked along his jawline.
Wen Xiaohui smacked her hand away. “I4 am a natural beauty. Go have a look at my mum’s chin and you’ll know the truth.”
Xiao Ai chuckled, “I’m only joking. I know you didn’t have surgery, so I didn’t pay attention to what they were saying.”
“Let me set up a side account to blast them.”
“Don’t do that. Just let the post die down or they’ll get even more fired up.”
“Why did you tell me about it then?”
“I thought you were upset because of that, and I wanted to comfort you.” Xiao Ai fluttered the eyelashes of her large eyes.
Wen Xiaohui squinted at her for a while. “You’re looking a little chubby.”
Xiaoai clenched her fists, her expression changed from ferocious to resentment in a split second. “Really?”
“How do you not know if you’ve put on weight?” From his bag, Wen Xiaohui took out a compact. “Lift up your fringe and I’ll touch up your makeup.”
Xiao Ai shut her eyes and brushed up her fringe. “A fried chicken restaurant opened up near my house, it’s so delicious. I buy half a chicken every day after work…”
“In that case, you deserve to be fat.”
Xiao Ai wailed, “Xiaohui!!! Help me lose weight, I need to lose weight.”
“Don’t call me Xiaohui!”
“Wahhh!”
“You’re the kind that says you want to lose weight, but you end up stuffing your face. You have zero credibility. Just wait and see how enormous you’ll get.” After touching up her makeup, Wen Xiaohui put his hands on his hips and looked at her. “I won’t want you anymore if you’re heavier than me.”
“Why are you like this?!”
“That’s just how I am. I don’t want a fat girlfriend like you. Hurry up and lose weight!”
Xiao Ai ran off crying.
Lu-jie smiled and said, “Are you bullying her again, Adi?”
“I’m supervising her progress.” Wen Xiaohui put on an apron and started to mop the floor to get the studio ready for trading.
“Do you want to hear some gossip?”
“Yay! Whose gossip?” Wen Xiaohui’s eyes lit up, and Xiao Ai also came over.
Lu-jie replied, “It’s Luca’s.”
“Wow, tell me quickly!” shouted Xiao Ai.
It had been a while since they heard that name. People initially discussed what had happened that day like everyday gossip since Luca quit his job. However, no one still remembered the incident after a period of time.
“A few days ago, I heard Liu Xing mention offhand that someone had deliberately informed Director Chen. Director Chen founded the company with her husband; she controls half of the shareholdings and is rather overbearing. In reality, she already knew that her husband had a toyboy, but she wasn’t bothered enough to do anything about it. Luca was unfortunate; someone sent her all of Luca’s details, including photos of him with her husband, so she couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Woah, what kind of person did Luca offend?”
“Who the heck knows? He’s got such a spiteful tongue that he’s offended a fair few people at our studio alone.”
Wen Xiaohui said, “That person must hate him a lot to spend so much effort to gather the information about them.”
“How hard is it?” Lu-jie said, “Luca’s not local so he can’t buy a car. You can use the licence plate to find its owner. I have a friend who did this and it only costs 1,000 to 2,000 yuan to find out all the information.”
Xiao Ai said in astonishment, “It’s so simple?”
Wen Xiaohui didn’t know why, but he suddenly recalled that the first time Luo Yi met Luca, he’d asked, “He’s not local, right?”
“Luca’s personality sucks, he deserves it.” Lu-jie smiled and said, “This is only my speculation. Most people think that the culprit wants revenge on the husband and not Luca.”
Wen Xiaohui promptly agreed, “I also think that spending one or two thousand on someone like Luca isn’t worth it… I’d rather line my tummy with it.”
“You need to teach us about this…” Lu-jie started a spiel about philosophy.
Wen Xiaohui listened while occasionally adding a word or two. Luca’s antagonistic face appeared in front of his eyes and after such a long time, he’d already forgotten how irritating Luca was. It was the incident that happened at the end, which left a lasting impression.
Wen Xiaohui was on the edge of his seat for the next few days. However, Director Luo didn’t make a move. Even Raven avoided the studio, so he wasn’t around to find fault with him, and gradually his nerves began to settle down.
—————
It was autumn in the blink of an eye, and half a year had flown by since their first encounter. Luo Yi had been at university for over a month. His 16th birthday was at the end of the month, so Wen Xiaohui felt anxious about finding a gift.
Luo Yi didn’t appear to lack anything. Although Luo Yi had a broad range of hobbies, he had no clue about any of them. This was also the first birthday that he was spending together with Luo Yi, so he had to find a thoughtful gift. But what should he get?
He didn’t know what Luo Yi was up to recently, he reckoned that maybe because he’d only just started university that he had a lot of things to sort out. It had been a week since he had last stayed over at Luo Yi’s house, which gave him the opportunity to shop around for a birthday present.
He was browsing trainers at a sports shop when his mobile phone rang, and when he looked at the display, he found that the caller was Shao Qun. Everytime Wen Xiaohui took his call, he had to take a few deep breaths to prepare himself. “Young Master Shao.”
“Have you finished work?”
“Yes, I’ve finished work.”
“How are things at the studio recently?”
“Very good.”
“Very good? Has anything unusual happened?”
Wen Xiaohui pondered for a while. “Raven hasn’t been around much recently, but Liu Xing has been coming in very often. Raven used to be the one who frequented the studio the most.”
“Do you know why?”
“I’m not sure… But from your tone of voice, it seems like you might know?”
“Why the hell would I ask you if I knew why?”
“I don’t know anything.”
“I need you to do something for me.”
Wen Xiaohui replied cautiously, “Please let me know what it is.”
“There are 47 people at your studio now, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Using the names of the 47 people, classify them according to how close they are with the three partners of Juxing. Don’t leave anyone out, and send it to me tonight.”
“Yes, okay.”
“Mark up the ones who are related to one of the partners or if they’re especially close.”
“Okay.”
“Does Raven have a close relationship with Luo Zhigao from XX Investments?
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Have they slept together?”
Wen Xiaohui was really embarrassed5. “This…”
“Just tell me the truth.”
“The truth of the matter is that I don’t know.”
“What do you think?”
“I think… It’s possible.”
“Have you ever met Luo Zhigao?”
“I’ve met him a couple of times,” said Wen Xiaohui, skirting around the pertinent details.
“Raven is trying to win over Luo Zhigao at all costs, but the one surnamed Luo doesn’t have the final say at the company. To be frank, Raven may have slept with him in vain.”
“Oh?” Wen Xiaohui really wanted to ask why in the world are you telling me this?
“Raven is a chess piece that can be easily discarded. From the point of view of a businessman, Juxing’s brand is the most valuable rather than a particular stylist. If you still have any thoughts of remaining loyal to Raven, you should quickly disregard them. I won’t treat you badly if you do a good job for me.”
“Okay.”
“That’s right.” Shao Qun said suddenly, “When did you find out Director Luo was gay?”
“Uh…”
“Just then I asked you if they slept together before, and you didn’t seem surprised at all. In any case, Director Luo is still the senior executive of a corporation, so it’s impossible for him to go around broadcasting his sexual orientation. Either Raven told you about it or he revealed himself in front of you. Raven couldn’t have been so stupid to gossip about one of his investors in front of a mere apprentice, so it must be the latter?”
Wen Xiaohui’s entire body broke out in cold sweat.
Shao Qun chuckled, “Let me continue guessing – is Director Luo interested in you?”
“That’s not the case, he’s only spoken a few words to me…”
“You’ve always kept your guard up around me. Has Director Luo promised you something?”
“Of course, not! Absolutely not! I’m really not acquainted with him at all!”
Shao Qun started to laugh again. “I’m only teasing you, kid. Remember to send me the list of names tonight.”
After the call ended, Wen Xiaohui stuck his middle finger up in the direction of his mobile phone. Just then, he was so scared that he began to shake, because he thought that Luo Yi’s beating of Director Luo had been exposed. This matter was like a ticking time bomb in his heart, so he was easily startled at the first sign of trouble.
Shao Qun had only just hung up when Luo Yi’s call came through.
“Xiaohui-ge, are you home yet?”
“Not yet, I’m out shopping.”
“Do you want to come over? I don’t have much on today so I’m at home.”
“Sure, I haven’t seen you for over a week. I’ll bring some snacks and we can watch a film together.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for you.”
—————
Wen Xiaohui bought a pile of food, and very happily went to Luo Yi’s house.
Luo Yi had only just finished his shower, and he was wearing a grey bathrobe with a towel draped over his head. The front of the bathrobe had a revealing V-shaped neckline. Possibly as a result of him shooting up in height, the youth’s body looked a little thin. However, the muscles on his chest and abdomen were already faintly visible, and his two calves were straight, long and thin.
Wen Xiaohui put the stuff down on the coffee table. “Why are you taking a shower at this hour?”
“I just got back from playing basketball at university.”
“Huh?” Wen Xiaohui stood up nice and straight. “Have you grown?”
“Maybe? But I haven’t been measured recently.”
“How tall were you last time you were measured?”
“I was 176cm a year ago.”
“I’m 177cm. When we first met, you were a little taller than me so you’ve definitely grown taller.”
Luo Yi smiled and said, “I might be over 1.8m now.”
“My sister’s tall at around 1.7m; you will definitely be taller than 185 cm as long as your dad isn’t short.” Wen Xiaohui took the food out and blurted, “How tall is your dad?”
He waited a while, but there was still no response. Wen Xiaohui turned around curiously and saw Luo Yi standing behind him, adjusting the settings of the TV. Wen Xiaohui could tell from his tense jaw that he’d heard the question, and he didn’t want to reply.
It suddenly occurred to Wen Xiaohui that he might have said something that he shouldn’t have, and he sighly gently. The mood between them became a bit awkward.
They’d known each other for over half a year, and the topic of Luo Yi’s father had always been considered taboo.
Luo Yi finished setting up the film, and he crouched down to help Wen Xiaohui take stuff out of the shopping bags. He saw Wen Xiaohui hanging his head in silence, and he whispered, “I don’t like talking about him. Let’s not mention him again, okay?”
Wen Xiaohui tilted his head up, and said with embarrassment, “I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Luo Yi smiled. “It’s fine.”
Wen Xiaohui couldn’t resist reaching out to pat his head, which was still dripping wet. “Am I really the only family you have left?”
“Yeah.” Luo Yi nudged his head against Wen Xiaohui’s hand. “There’s no one else.”
Wen Xiaohui reluctantly smiled.
Luo Yi pondered and said, “You don’t have to respond if Mr Cao6 seeks you out to talk about that person. Do you understand?”
A puzzled Wen Xiaohui replied, “Why would Mr Cao want to speak to me about your father… About that person?”
Luo Yi paused for a second. “Mr Cao had a relationship with my mum.”
Wen Xiaohui’s eyes widened. “Oh, they…”
Luo Yi nodded. “There must be something else between them that I don’t know about. Cao Hai wasn’t happy with the division of her estate because he was involved in mum’s business. Therefore, I’m concerned that he has something else planned so don’t believe anything he says.” Luo Yi stroked Wen Xiaohui’s delicate and malleable earring. “All you need to do is to trust me.”
Wen Xiaohui nodded. “Don’t worry, why would I trust a stranger? Of course, I’ll trust you.”
Luo Yi looked at Wen Xiaohui’s openly firm and resolute expression, and his heart began to tremble gently.
Wen Xiaohui gave him a nudge. “Let’s watch the film, and try out this fried chicken. My little girlfriend recommended it. She ate it for a full month and put on 6 pounds7.”
“Your girlfriend?” Luo Yi frowned.
Wen Xiaohui laughed, “Ah, she’s my colleague at the studio – a close friend8, and such a fun girl.”
Luo Yi raised his eyebrows. “I thought you’d suddenly changed your sexual orientation.”
Wen Xiaohui laughed out loud. “I’d definitely ask her out if I were to change, but it’s not likely in this lifetime. Oh, you’ve seen her before when you visited the studio – the petite girl with the massive eyes. She’s really pretty, and she’s a year younger than me.”
Luo Yi chuckled, “I’m only 15, Xiaohui-ge. Why are you always persuading me to date?”
“Aren’t you going to be 16 soon? It’s a waste of your teenage years if you don’t date.”
“But if I’m in a relationship, I won’t have time to spend with you and you can’t come over and hang out with me as you please.”
Wen Xiaohui opened his mouth in surprise. “You’re right.” He didn’t know why, but thinking about how Luo Yi would one day fall in love and dedicate all his love and time to a stranger, he felt a bit upset.
Luo Yi raised and touched his coke can against Wen Xiaohui’s can. He said calmly and sincerely, “I’d rather be with you.”
They looked into each other’s eyes and smiled. Wen Xiaohui felt as though he could hear the sound of his racing heart.
Footnotes:
吃我豆腐/eat my tofu is used in the raws (this sounds so suspect in English :-S). To eat someone’s tofu means to take advantage of someone (usually in the context of a man harassing a woman). It comes from an olden day tradition where tofu was served as part of a meal to guests paying their respect to the family of the deceased. Some shameless people would go around freeloading off these families.
Yes, ’souls’ is intentionally plural because the Chinese typically believe that people possess two souls.
In case anyone’s interested, this phrase was in English in the raws.
老子, arrogant version of I again
囧, emoticon which denotes embarrassment/awkwardness.
Reminder: This is the lawyer that appeared in the earlier chapters and executed Luo Yaya’s will.
Five catties (Chinese unit of measurement) equates to 5.6 pounds.
闺蜜, WXH uses a term which is typically used by a female to refer to one’s close female friend. The first character was typically used to describe a lady’s private chambers or boudoir back in the day.
